Tuesday’s Ploughing for Stars finalists

Three contestants will take to the stage today [Tuesday] for the Ploughing for Stars final.

It is on at the National Ploughing Championships in the Irish Farmers Journal stand at 4pm.

Everyone is invited to attend Ploughing for Stars on both Tuesday and Wednesday for what is sure to be an electric afternoon of entertainment.

There will be three different singers battling it out each day.

The prize for the winner on both days is the chance to sing with Mike Denver at one of his concerts.

So, without further ado, let’s meet Tuesday’s finalists.

Peter Hughes

A tillage and sheep farmer from outside Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, Peter Hughes will be singing an original song he co-wrote called A Shed With No Hay, which is to the tune of the Dubliners song A Pub With No Beer. Music has been a hobby of Peter’s always.

He is into both country and traditional music; playing the guitar, banjo and harmonica.

Peter organises a monthly session in his local pub, which encompasses musicians, singers and storytellers.

Keelan Greaney

Keelan Greaney hails from Tuam, Co Galway. He studies computing and digital media at GMIT.

Although he enjoys this course, it is most definitely his dream to be a singer.

Coming from a musical family, it was through his mother – who is also a brilliant performer – that he got his passion for music.

He has been a huge country fan his whole life. His favourite singers include Robert Mizzell and, of course, Mike Denver, which is no surprise, as Keelan himself also sings with a distinctive American country sound.

Mary ‘Flash’ Gordon

At the age of 68, Mary Gordon describes herself as “a granny game for anything” who “would give anything a try”.

Living in Limerick but a Tipperary woman through and through, Mary worked for the HSE for 12 years prior to retiring.

Since retirement, the singer says she has only started to live.

She is a huge fan of country music and social dancing, where everyone knows her as 'Flash' after the 1980s film Flash Gordon.

Every Monday night, Mary and her sisters go dancing in Tullamore, which she says has been her saviour since her husband passed away.

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